The World’s First Flight Attendant

Before fixed-wing airliners were large enough to carry a steward (and 18 years before Ellen Church of United Airlines became the world’s first stewardess) Heinrich Kubis was earning his living as the world’s first flight attendant.

Kubis began caring for passengers in March, 1912 on the passenger airship Schwaben.

Kubis served as chief steward on all later German passenger zeppelins including Bodensee (which made scheduled flights between Berlin and Southern Germany in 1919), Graf Zeppelin, and the famous Hindenburg.

Kubis worked alone on the early zeppelins but he had an assistant steward and cook aboard the 20-passenger Graf Zeppelin, and he led a team of 10-15 cooks and stewards aboard the 72-passenger Hindenburg.

Kubis was in Hindenburg’s dining room when the ship burst into flame at Lakehurst, New Jersey on May 6, 1937. When the Hindenburg sank close enough to the ground, Kubis encouraged passengers and crew to jump from the windows and jumped to safety himself. Kubis landed without injury and was not hurt in the disaster.

Kubis testified at the inquiry into the Hindenburg disaster and then returned to Germany, where he lived until his death in the 1970s.

I have a passport signed by Mr Loprete in Argentina. I was five years old , and I Flew to Misiones in one Avro Sandringham or similar. I was given a passport signed by Captain Escudero and Purser Loprete.

I would like to get information about Mr. Loprete – I am writing a history of food in flight and have no information about FAMA or the early years of South American airlines. If you see this, please contact me via my website at richardfoss.com